Week 7: Pilina (Relationship, connection)

Building new relationships, strengthening friendships, having difficult conversations -- these are reminders that I cannot do anything alone. I am interconnected with others and rely on people and the land for everything from basic survival to elevated joy.

I started my week checking out a hula festival at Kapiolani Park and cried a little. I couldn't help it. When I saw the beautiful movements of the hula and even small children doing hula routines, remembering how hula was banned under the influence of missionaries who thought the dance was immoral, it gave me so much hope to see it survive and thrive.

Monday I decided to tackle a (relatively easy) swim test that will allow me to sign up for a snorkeling outing once the fall semester starts. I got to explore the UH campus and revel at the beauty. It's mostly empty for summer, so the birds are out in full force: singing and just chillin'. 

Pics from my walk around the UH Mānoa campus

On my walk back, I passed by the Hawai‘i Peace Memorial: A Japanese gift commemorating the thousands of Japanese immigrants to the Hawaiian islands. I smiled when I noticed the Japanese characters looked familiar -- I happened to be wearing my Last Air Bender / Miyazaki mash-up shirt that contained four of the five characters. 

 

I spent the rest of the week getting ready for an island-hopping trip to Moloka‘i. My new classmate and friend, Tom, offered not only to be my tour guide, but invited me to stay in his home for a night so we could have a relaxed time visiting his beautiful island.

click for slideshow

The visit was absolutely perfect. Throughout the scenic drive, Tom would point out kalo patches, fish ponds, beaches, plants, churches, houses of aunties, uncles, formerly owned Monsanto land -- all as a backdrop to various adventures he had growing up on this rural island. Tom is fabulous storyteller, with a big laugh and adding a hint of pidgin and Hawaiian words to make the stories come to life. 

Funny story: After hiking to Moloka‘i's phallic rock and some lunch, Tom, his girlfriend Makamae /mah-kah-my/, and I were sharing cookies-and-cream ice cream. I was trying to tell them that I tried ube-cookies-and-cream-flavored gelato at a mall (see Week 5), only I didn't remember the word "ube" correctly and replaced the "B" with an "L"... They both looked puzzled and a little shocked. As Makamae gaped at me with a question on her face, Tom shook off the confusion, searched his thoughts and asked, "Do you mean 'ube'?" Embarrassed, I smiled sheepishly and said, "YES! Ube!" 

Makamae tried not to laugh but couldn't hold back. She said that, after checking out the phallic rock, the word I said, "ule," is the Hawaiian word for ... well... for the part of the male anatomy to which "phallic" refers. OMGee. We all laughed so hard! 😅 

The laughter continued into the evening, at Tom's house. We shared some frozen mango harvested from his trees (yum!) and sat in the cool breeze. His home was built by his grandfather and has a gorgeous view of the ocean. Tom talked story about various jobs he had, places he worked, and even some hilarious ghost stories!

Moloka‘i island is so underdeveloped that, with the parting clouds, the night sky was full of stars. It was magical.

The next morning we shared a meal and spent time at the beach. We were blessed with a sighting of some manta rays swimming just a few yards away. A rare treat. 

I feel so lucky to have amazing friends, the opportunity to grow closer to Tom and Makamae, and the gifts that these islands have bestowed on me. 

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